The Trusts Donate $2 Million to Support West Auckland’s Most Vulnerable Babies

December 12, 2018

A premature baby is born every 90 minutes in New Zealand, often needing specialist medical care to survive the first few weeks or months.

Things are about to get easier for the 350 babies born prematurely in West Auckland each year, with a rebuild of the Specialist Care Baby Unit at Waitakere Hospital to look after babies who arrive as early as 23 weeks.

The $6M fundraising effort by Well Foundation to rebuild the West Auckland unit has got off to a great start with $2 million donated by The Trusts and $1 million from Jeff Douglas of Douglas Pharmaceuticals. The rebuild will be completed by 2020, doubling the number of cot beds available.

This will be the third time The Trusts have supported community health projects managed by the Well Foundation charity. The Million Dollar Mission appeals previously gifted $116,010 via public votes for a new Mobile Health Clinic. At-risk children and families can get free health checks in their own own community through the Mobile Health Clinic.

Earlier this year they donated $100,020 for a new transport Incubator. The incubator provides a reliable method of safely transporting premature and unwell babies from Waitakere Hospital to other hospitals for important tests.

“We are so grateful to The Trusts for supporting such an important project that will help many in the community now and for years to come,” says Andrew Young, CEO of Well Foundation, the official charity of Waitakere Hospital fundraising for the rebuild.

The Trusts CEO Simon Wickham says it is honoured to be able to make a tangible contribution to the lives of some of our most vulnerable children. “Having the chance to contribute in this way on behalf of the West Auckland community and make a difference in the lives of thousands of local children at a critical stage in their development is immensely rewarding.”

“We have found that West Aucklanders are passionate about supporting health charities. This is evident from the huge amount of public votes these organisations receive as part of the Million Dollar Mission.”

The Trusts are West Auckland community owned and operated – every time you shop at a West Liquor, Village Wine & Spirits, or one of the bars and restaurants run by your Trusts, you’re directly supporting profits being given back to local community causes who otherwise could miss out. The Trusts have given back millions of dollars to help community groups, clubs and schools afford vital things like rescue equipment, building upgrades, environmental projects, community vehicles and community support services. It’s all made possible when you support the Trusts’ outlets, so they can in turn support our community.

If you’d like to know more about The Trusts, how your shopping makes a difference, and how your community groups and clubs get help from The Trusts, visit here